A freshly dead and formalin fixed fish. Photo credit: Lemon TYK.

 While studies and surveys conducted on piscine organisms often involve in situ research on living specimens, a great deal of it occur post mortem. In science, death is the gateway of knowledge, and only in death can an animal be picked apart and studied in depth, revealing secrets pertaining to everything from its morphology to genetics. It’s a necessary loss, and often times, a voucher specimen reveals more that there is to know dead, than alive.  But to really reveal the unabashed truth that lay hidden in an organism, one must first prepare it for study. In fish, this often involves a multi-step process to properly fix and preserve it for long term storage. Ideally, you want something that will last long enough for the duration of your study, and for the study of others; and not a putrid pile of rotting flesh. 

A freshly dead sample mounted and spread with pins on a styrofoam board. These pins are a little too big, and ideally, entomological pins should be used. Photo credit: Lemon TYK.

 In a freshly dead (or euthanised) specimen, the muscles and tissues are relaxed and pliable enough to work with. This is different in the later few hours of death, where rigor mortis sets in due to the very complex chain reaction of ATP depletion and calcium ion uptake in the cells. Preparation of samples are usually done before this stage. In fish, important anatomical features such as fins are spread out, allowing for ease in examination and counts pertaining to the number of spines and rays. Entomological pins are used to keep the fins in place, and it is important to try and spread them out as wide as you can. To keep them in this position, formalin (37%) is painted or dripped over the specimen and allowed to set for a few minutes. Once fixed, the pins can be removed with minimal damage to the specimen. It is important to photograph the fish now, in its still fresh live coloration, as this will later change drastically during preservation. Photography should be carried out with the specimen just barely submerged in water, so as to prevent any reflection from the moist skin or scales. The background should not be distracting, allowing for the features to be elucidated clearly. White or black backgrounds work well.… More:

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M. vittatus, luteus, abruptus, vicinus & geminatus
 This quintumvirate of West Pacific fishes is easily recognized by the single (or double) stripe running along the length of the body and the short pelvic fins (which are elongated in the males of most other striped taxa). Some of the least-known species occur here, with photographs of live individuals being almost non-existent for most. And, unlike with other fangblenny groups, we see a highly diverse and complex speciation centered within Indonesia—a similar pattern of speciation as that seen in fishes like Chrysiptera, Pictichromis and Paracheilinus. 

1=luteus, 2=geminatus, 3-vicinus, 4=vittatus Credit: Rudie Kuiter, mdx2, Gerry Allen

  M. vittatus, found in New Guinea, is a griseous fish with a black stripe passing through the eye and extending from tip to tail. A similar form occurs around Sulawesi, but in this phenotype (described as M. vicinus) there is also a dorsal stripe present. To the west, a nearly identical form (M. geminatus) can be found in the Philippines and Borneo and south to Java, which differs in the ochreous color beneath the medial stripe and a less well-defined dorsal stripe. Heading south we find M. abruptus at Komodo and Bali, a species which combines the distinct stripes of the Sulawesi vicinus with the ochreous ventral half of the nearby geminatus. And, lastly, Australia has a double-striped form in M. luteus which is uniquely pigmented in yellow.  

M. abruptus, from Bali. Credit: Gerry Allen

 
This whirlwind tour through the vittatus group is indicative of how little we know of these fishes. Given the tight distribution limits, there are undoubtedly areas of overlap and potential hybridization, though none has been reported yet. And, given the highly endemic nature of these taxa, we have to question whether the Western and Eastern Australian populations are truly conspecific. There are surely many more discoveries to be made in regards to these little known blennies, but a great deal more documentation is needed beforehand.As aquarium subjects, I’m not familiar with any of these having been exported. Judging from in situ photographs, these fishes seem to have a preference for silty reefs dominated by soft corals—the type of habitat seldom frequented by fish collectors. Combined with their chromatic subtleties, it’s no wonder these have been virtually ignored in the aquarium industry.… More:

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This is a very interesting article discussing the ways fish communicate and the change in how science has viewed this communication over time. Communication is an amazing thing, be it in humans or animals. And it has certainty always been known that fish communicate with one another, in a variety of different ways. For example, the beautiful, synchronized moment in schools of fish have been studied to show communications through gesture and movement. Bio-luminescence and chemical communication is also used as a way for fish to communicate. But recent studies also shows evidence that fish also communicate in a very surprising way, by using sound too. It has been shown that some fish can communicate using noises including grunts, chirps and pops. A study by the University of Auckland found that although all fish are able to hear, only some can communicate through sound. One such sound is made by the fish vibrating their swim bladder. The fish use this sound for a variety of reasons, to try and synchronize release of the eggs at the same time for reproduction, or even in reef fish, to scare off predators. Sadly, for anyone hoping to get some conversation with your pet goldfish, you are out of luck. Although Goldfish have excellent hearing, sadly for us, they have no vocalization skills. MORE… More:

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Tosana niwae, a male and female pair in Nishihama beach, Okinawa, 40m. Photo credit: Kiss2Sea.

 The anthiines of the Indo-Pacific are home to numerous genera, most of them noted for their exuberance and sheer brilliance. These charming basslets are notoriously well known for their dazzling display of opulence; compounded to that is the sheer numbers in which many of these occur. Take, for example, the polyphyletic Pseudanthias and the numerous species that plague the reefs in a swirling buzz. From Acropora dominated drop offs, where Mirolabrichthys school in tandem, to twilight zones where Odontanthias skulk in silence. In almost all suitable habitats and depths along a well diverse reef, you’ll find some kind of anthiine. One genus, however, takes residence in a habitat far removed from this familiar sight. It is Tosana. Tosana is a monotypic genus with only one described species, Tosana niwae. The species is regionally endemic to the South China Sea, and is documented fairly regularly from Japan and Taiwan. The species’ habitat preference is unusual, adopting a likeness for silty-muddy bottoms in deep coastal waters, far removed from any Acropora or sun-spangled coral gardens. As a specialist in this microhabitat, it is joined by few other fauna, but other benthic, silt loving fishes from the genera Ptereleotris, Hoplolatilus, Callionymus and Osopsaron can be found in close sympatry. Because of this relatively unexplored habitat, coupled with its predilection for deep water, it is likely that T. niwae has a distribution much larger than previously known. It should be looked out for in the costal waters of Vietnam and the Spratly Archipelago. There is a single record from Bali, but that is likely to be anomalous and erroneous. 

A large female Tosana niwae and a group of smaller initial phased females swim in the murky, silty depths of Okinawa. Photo credit: KOI.

A male Tosana niwae displaying the very exaggerated and prominent filamentous extensions on its pelvic, anal and caudal fins.

 Like most anthiines, T. niwae is sexually dichromatic. Females are relatively drab, and are steely pink with a horizontal yellowish-brown stripe extrapolated from the upper eye stripe. Males are mostly sakura pink to peach, with the usual stripe broken up into a bright red medial blotch placed just beyond the pectoral fin. Perhaps the most fascinating morphological aspect lies in the caudal fin, where both upper and lower lobes are tipped in carmine, and decorated in wispy filamentous tresses.… More:

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Visit the Coral Fever website at coralfever.com

This week’s topics are a most-unusual combination of reef aquariums and drag racing. Our guests this week are Seth and Angelle Drago, owners of Coral Fever, a reef store and maintenance business located in Mathews, LA, near New Orleans. Motorcycle drag-racing fans will know Angelle as Angelle Sampey, three-time NHRA pro stock motorcycle world champion and the winningest female in motorsports history. We hope you enjoy hearing from Seth and Angelle about their business and racing. Download the podcast here, or subscribe to our podcasts at iTunes. Also, follow us on Twitter at reefthreads.—Gary and Christine

Angelle Sampey at the track.

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M. crinitus, lineatus & naevius These three species share much in common with M. abditus, including a propensity for shallow-water coastal reefs. Were it not for their common presence in Melanesia, it would be easy to presume these two formed a single group. But in light of their broad sympatry, as well as the distinct white crossmarks of abditus, I have chosen to treat these as separate clades. Specimens are rarely available in the aquarium hobby, making these some of the rarest fishes to be had.  

M. lineatus from Musgrave Island, Australia. Credit: fishx6

  The most distinctive member is the Australian M. lineatus, which differs in the alternating black and yellow stripes, as well as the black stripe running along the dorsal fin. It is only known from the Great Barrier Reef, though it seems likely it would occur in regions like New Caledonia and Vanuatu. For such a colorful fish from such a well-dived location, there are shockingly few photographs depicting it. The species is reported from lagoons and seaward reefs to a depth of 18 meters, which makes it all the more puzzling that so little documentation exists. This is also the only species in its group which has been collected for aquarists, but even this has occurred only rarely. Information regarding such aquarium specimens is essentially non-existent outside of some Japanese magazines. 

M. crinitus from Raja Ampats, Indonesia. Note the apparently sexual differences of the dorsal fin stripe. Credit: Gerry Allen & Ned DeLoach/blennywatcher.com

   Moving north into New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, we find M. crinitus, which differs most noticeably in its black and white striping. Known photographs of live specimens show variation in the presence of a stripe in the dorsal fin. The species description discussed large males possessing abditus-like exaggeration to the caudal fin, though existing photographs show little evidence of this. Clearly, there is a great deal of ontogenetic variation which takes place in crinitus. Perhaps the most salient identifying trait is the thinning of the stripes in the caudal peduncle. The lowermost stripe becomes broken, leaving a small black dot posteriorly, like a piscine exclamation point. 

Holotype (and only) specimen of M. naevius. Note the pattern of the caudal peduncle. Credit: Smith-Vaniz, 1987

   Finally, a single specimen collected at Western Australia in a shallow-water (3-6 meter) fish trap was described as M.… More:

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Working in a public aquarium for ten years myself, I know first hand the trials and tribulations that staffers go through in keeping the tanks spotless. It is certainly not as easy as it looks and takes a lot of dedication and hard work. The National Aquarium has 2.2 millions gallons of water, and a lot of marine animals. That means that there is also a lot of refuge, uneaten food and other unmentionables in those tanks that need cleaning too.  Bacteria and algae can run wild if left alone for even a couple of days. That takes a toll not only on the beauty of the tank but more importantly, of the health of its residents. “It is a major undertaking to not only keep the exhibits clean, but to keep the animals healthy,” said Jay Bradley, curator of fishes at the National Aquarium. “It does depend on the exhibit how often things are done, but there’s something being worked on every day.” Divers clean the over 3000 pieces of artificial coral in the tank daily, as well as keeping the tanks algae free, while swimming around some big fish and sharks. The aquarium also depends on the help of a team of 950 volunteer divers, who donate their time to cleaning the tanks. I spent  much of my time when I was at the public aquarium in a dive suit cleaning the tanks. It is a very important, and often times not well loved job, but someone has to do it and for good reason. MORE… More:

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There are a number of beginner-friendly LPS coral speciesThroughout my years as an aquarium enthusiast, I have followed all the advice from all the books I could get my hands on since there were no other hobbyists with the same interest as I in my circle of friends growing up. My aquatic progression took the following path: 5-gallon slate & stainless-steel-framed fancy guppy tank from my grandfather Goldfish won at the carnival Betta bowl 10-gallon freshwater tropical tank 29-gallon cichlid-specific tanks (bred angelfish and convicts) Brackish-water tank 55-gallon saltwater FOWLR tank Saltwater FOWLR carnivorous tank Saltwater soft corals & anemones Saltwater large-polyp stony corals (LPS) Saltwater small-polyp stony corals (SPS) The reason I went through all these stages was the lack of technology and information that exist today. I could not keep any corals well at all back in the 1980s because the efficiency of the power protein skimmer did not exist (still used wooden airstones), the lighting was still just T12 fluorescents, and the filtration was not very good at exporting nutrients (canister filters, undergravel filters, wet/dry trickle filters). If you did not do regular water changes, chances are the livestock would all eventually die. The carnivorous fish were the easiest to keep while the omnivores tended to die out due to malnutrition because the foods available at the time didn’t provide adequate nutrition.My 90-gallon LPS system These days, with the help of current technologies, you can more or less jump straight to any stage without the experience of prior stages. Thanks to the vast experiential knowledge base accumulated by hobbyists around the world these last few decades, we now have references and starting points good enough to help just about anyone succeed with the correct coaching. The key is to do your research and consider the source of information from the standpoints of relevance and accuracy. Therefore, in this article, I’m going to jump right to the large-polyp stony corals

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Valenciennea bella – Photo by Kevin Kohen Valenciennea is a genus of small, bottom-dwelling fish from the family Gobiidae. They can be found sifting sandy bottoms, along the edges of coral reefs and on flats in the Indo-Pacific. Behavior Valenciennea will perch directly on the substrate for extended periods of time while resting from sifting sand though their mouths.  Also referred to as “hover gobies”, these fish can also be observed floating motionless directly above the sand bed or other substrate.  The resting behavior of Valenciennea gobies has resulted in the common name “sleeper gobies”. Currently there are 15 recognized species of Valenciennea gobies but only a few are found prevalently in the US aquarium trade.  Below is a list of observed species in order

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Sir David Attenborough in situ. Credit: Atlantic Productions

 If you’re anything like me, you’ve been counting the days until the BBC broadcasts its upcoming nature documentary on the Great Barrier Reef, presented by the legendary Sir David Attenborough. Now, at long last, we are less than two weeks away from the airing of the first episode on December 30th, and the BBC has been kind enough to whet our appetites for stunning reef visuals by releasing a thirty-second teaser trailer. Needless to say, this looks like it is going to be absolutely amazing, a holiday gift from David Attenborough to all of us in the reefkeeping community. 
It has everything we would hope for. Time-lapse macro photography of a Sarcophyton extending its polyps—check. A manned submersible descending to the mesophotic depths of the Great Barrier Reef—check. A beloved British octogenarian waxing poetic about the beauty of the world around us, his words and phrases issuing forth in a hypnotic, mellifluous cadence, lulling us into a trancelike admiration for his natural history musings—check. There’s still no word on when we’ll be seeing this broadcast outside of Britain, though I imagine PBS will get its hands on it sooner or later. The series will have three hour-long episodes, in which Attenborough explores the reefs of the Queensland coastline aboard the 56-meter research ship Alucia. He last filmed here in 1957, an era when diving and underwater photography was still in its infancy. Of course, much has changed since then with regards to our understanding of the reef’s biological processes and diversity, as well as our technical capabilities for studying and documenting it. I imagine there’ll be some fascinating archival footage to look forward to, as well as David’s own recollection of what this habitat looked like 60 years ago. There is also said to be a CGI element to this series, which has proven to be an amazing addition to some of his other recent documentaries. While it’s always a treat to see a coral reef filmed in high definition, it’s important to realize that the raison d’être for this landmark series, as with much of David Attenborough’s work, is to highlight the increasingly imperiled state of our planet’s ecosystems. As any coral reef aquarist should be aware of by now, there are existential threats posed by climate change and the environmental degradation caused by our species. What might these reefs look like in another sixty years if we fail to protect them?… More:

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Combo Joe’s Retina Blaster and Fukushima Acan This weeks Featured Coral of the Week comes to us from one of our sponsors, Joe Knows Reefs. As featured above, Combo Joe’s Retina Blaster and Fukushima Acan give a visually appealing display involving every color of the rainbow.  Speaking about this stunning Australian Acanthastrea, Joey Nichols tells us that it has been in his grow out system for about 6-7 months thriving best under conditions of low water flow and low to moderate lighting conditions. In the reef aquarium, Acanthastrea corals are very hardy and fast growing.  They are some of the most ideal corals for fragging with a quality frag saw.  Like many aquarists, coral farmers and coral importers, Joey uses the Gryphon Aquasaw to cut through the

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                                                                                Photo: BlairSnow

  I have finally found a present that I don’t need to reuse, reduce or recycle!  It’s the “in” thing to give as a Christmas present this year and….you can even be a last-minute kind of person who forgot to go shopping and get one on the 24^th or 25^th .  It’s adoption papers for a marine animal! The money goes toward research and education, and the care of the animals (depending on which organization you choose) and there are a huge variety to choose from.  Here are just a few that I’ve come across; you can also contact your local public aquarium, I’m sure they’ll be able to help you find your perfect match: SEAHORSE http://www.mcsuk.org/support_mcs/Join+Donate+Adopt/Adopt-a-Seahorse SEA OTTER
https://secure3.convio.net/tmmc/site/Ecommerce/1575668178?VIEW_PRODUCT=true&product_id=1306&store_id=1241&__utma=200629042.422845302.1450092820.1450092820.1450092820.1&__utmb=200629042.1.10.1450092820&__utmc=200629042&__utmx=-&__utmz=200629042.1450092820.1.1.utmcsr=(direct)|utmccn=(direct)|utmcmd=(none)&__utmv=-&__utmk=259023881SHARK
http://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions/Great-White-Shark.aspx PENGUIN
http://www.sanccob.co.za/component/content/article/28-how-penguin-adoptions-work/225-about-adopting-a-penguin-faqsCUTTLEFISH
https://aquariummember.aquariumofpacific.org/NetCommunity/adopt-an-animal/limited-edition-animals/adopt-a-cuttlefish HARBOUR SEAL
http://www.aquablog.ca/2015/08/adopt-a-harbour-seal-and-support-marine-mammal-rescue/OCTOPUS
http://www.clevelandzoosociety.org/donate/adopt-an-animal/octopus DOLPHIN
http://marinemammalconservancy.org/fundraising/adoption-certificate TURTLE
http://www.marinelife.org/adopt 

Manta Ray- Jon Hansen

 MANTA RAY
http://www.marinemegafauna.org/support-us/adopt-a-giant/ SEA TURTLE
http://www.shopnwf.org/Adoption-Center/Adopt-a-Sea-Turtle/index.cat?&sSource=96718&kw=&announcementid8541342= ORCA
http://whalemuseum.org/collections/adopt-an-orca So what are you waiting for?  Adopt an animal for your loved ones!… More:

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Fish oil is an important part of Paul B’s fish feeding regimenHobby pioneer Paul “Paul B” Baldassano has some strong opinions on what types of foods are best for fish, formed over his many decades of involvement in the marine aquarium hobby. Somewhere near the top of his list is fish (or krill) oil. He explains exactly why in the following excerpt from the third chapter of his book The Avant-Garde Marine Aquarist: A 60-Year History of Fishkeeping:From Chapter 3: Keeping Fish Healthy Oil, in my opinion, is one of the most important things you can feed to fish. No, not Oil of Olay or olive oil, but fish or krill oil. I take it myself every day, but not too much, as I don’t want to resemble my old flounder-faced girlfriend. In the sea, fish get a large percentage of their diet from pure fish oil.

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In 2016, the ‘longest floating structure in history’ known as the ‘ocean cleanup’ will be placed in the ocean, off the coast of Japan. The ‘Ocean Cleanup’ was founded by 20 year old founder and CEO Boyan Slat. Currently deployment is being explored to take place off the coast of Tsushima, an island located in the waters between Japan and South-Korea. The ‘ocean cleanup’ will span at 2000 meters, which beats the previous world record of 1000 meters for the Tokyo Mega-Float. It will be floating for 2 years, removing plastic pollution from the waters. Japan has a huge plastic pollution crisis, with one cubic meter of pollution per person washing up on shores every year. This will be the first clean up project of what is hoped to be many more to come. The ‘Ocean Cleanup’ website describes its mission as follows: “The Ocean Cleanup’s goal is to fuel the world’s fight against oceanic plastic pollution by initiating the largest cleanup in history”. Boyan Slat, founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup said: “Taking care of the world’s ocean garbage problem is one of the largest environmental challenges mankind faces today. Not only will this first cleanup array contribute to cleaner waters and coasts but it simultaneously is an essential step towards our goal of cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This deployment will enable us to study the system’s efficiency and durability over time.” MORE… More:

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While employed at the Vancouver Aquarium,  I had the great honor of working under Dr.
Jeffrey Marliave for seven years. Dr. Marliave is the Vice President of the aquarium and has been with the Vancouver Aquarium for over thirty years. I looked up to Dr. Marliave as a mentor, and have the utmost respect for him. Additionally, having seen the glass sponge reefs myself, I can honestly say that they are truly amazing. The Vancouver Aquarium has recently received federal funding so that the aquarium can study the glass sponge reefs. Warm waters from El Nino has caused many of the sponges to die. These sponge reef’s are the only living examples of the reefs that were in existence during the Jurassic period. The glass sponge reefs in British Columbia have literally been around since the time of dinosaurs, and are alive for us to study! That is pretty incredible. “The look like cumulus clouds, they’re just so beautiful, and you’re down there you’re just swept away by the beauty of it,” said Vancouver Aquarium marine science vice-president Dr. Jeff Marliave. In the past 15 years, the reefs have been discovered in Howe Sound, and are currently only found in British Columbia. MORE… More:

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In our last article, A Closer Look At Sleeper Gobies, Genus Valenciennea, we covered the diet, care and behavior of the 15 recognized species of Valenciennea gobies.  Today we look at another genus of sand sifting gobies known as, Istigobious.  Istigobius is a genus of gobies found in fresh, brackish and marine waters along the coasts of the Indian and western Pacific oceans. Istigobius was described originally as a subgenus of the genus Gobius (Whitley, 1932; Murdy and Hoese, 1985) and then in 1979 Hoese and Winterbottom reviewed the family and subsequently elevated Istigobius to generic status.  Similar to Acentrogobius, Istigobius’s morphology differs by having its nose extend beyond the top of its mandible (lower jaw).  Additionally, Istigobius was found to be most closely related to Exyrias, though Exyrias

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Good morning from the windiest place on Earth! Like the rest of the planet our weather is messed up and not normal! We should be having rain every day but instead it’s been crazy windy with very little sun and honestly if the rains don’t come soon we will be headed into another year of drought!  I left the house at 6:30 this morning (in the dark) and met my neighbor for an early morning mountain bike ride.

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A large male Pseudochromis colei. This represents the first known individual since its redescription in 2012, and doubles up as the first individual offered to the aquarium trade. Photo credit: Lemon TYK.

 The subfamily Pseudochrominae (family Pseudochromidae) boasts colorful small to medium sized, reef associated fish. Of the ten genera nestled within this subfamily, Pseudochromis is the most speciose, and perhaps the most familiar amongst divers and aquarists. And of the seventy or so species, not all readily fall into the acquaintance of the enthusiastic reefer, and at least a third or more are either extremely rare or elusive. One such fish fulfilling this status is Pseudochromis colei, which, until the turn of this century, was known only from one specimen. Pseudochromis colei superficially resembles P. perspicillatus in appearance, but the former can be diagnosed by having a black lateral stripe that is always disconnected from the dorsum. Present within this stripe is a series of gilded crosshatch stitches. The posterior ventral region is extensively slated in a dulcet rosy wash with oblique scratchings in a darker hue. In P. perspicillatus, these markings are absent, and the black lateral stripe often invades the head and dorsal fin base. 

Pseudochromis colei. Note the gold cross-stitching within the black lateral stripe and the rosy wash on the posterior venter. Photo credit: Lemon TYK.

 The handsome Pseudochromis colei was first known and described in 1933, from a single holotype collected in Culion, Philippines. It’s live coloration was unknown then, and the species proved highly elusive, remaining unseen for the next seventy years. It was later redescribed in 2012 on the basis of two additional specimens collected by Gerry Allen and Mark Erdmann in Palawan, Philippines. The redescription paper also included descriptions of two new Pseudochromis, now known as P. eichleri and P. ammeri. To date, Pseudochromis colei is known only from the type series of three specimens from Culion and adjacent Palawan. 

A juvenile Pseudochromis colei. Note the faint markings characteristic of the adults. Photo credit: Lemon TYK.

 In the recent weeks, RVS Fish World collected three specimens from their substation in Palawan, of which two were juveniles. The reappearance of this species since 2012 brings the underestimated total number of documented individuals to six, with the first records of P. colei in its juvenile coloration. The juveniles are similar in appearance to the adults, but lack the diagnostic rose wash and the emarginate caudal fin.… More:

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Aquarium maintenance companies are often asked to set up up a fully functional reef aquarium as quickly as possible. You know, just like they do on those reality TV shows. Well, entertaining TV aside, that’s not how it works in the real world of reefkeeping is it? A successful start to a reef aquarium requires establishing the necessary bacterial colonies to manage nutrient loads and avoid toxic accumulations of nitrogenous waste. Nevertheless the speedy set up of a life-sustaining reef aquarium is an appealing concept if it can be done in the interest of the inhabitants. And we’re not talking here about cycling a new system with stressed out damselfish.   New on the reefkeeping scene is a system aimed at the professional aquarium maintenance

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The maximum level of acceptable bioload is unique to each system based on a variety of factorsThe bioload in a reef aquarium increases through both the acquisition of new specimens as well as the growth/reproduction of established livestock. So, unless fish and corals are dying in significant numbers (which they shouldn’t be unless there’s a major problem), the bioload in any reef system is usually trending upward. While it’s exciting and rewarding to see our tanks bustling with life, we all know there is a certain threshold beyond which a system contains more organisms than it can reasonably sustain in good health. Unfortunately, there’s no alarm on our tanks that sounds when we’re approaching or surpassing that threshold. There are, however, certain signs that tell us it might be time to back off the bioload by rehoming a specimen or thinning coral colonies.Here are just a few examples: Stubbornly high nitrate/phosphate levels We can’t prevent our livestock from producing waste (not even with little corks!), and we can only limit what we feed our fish and invertebrates to a certain extent. So if your nitrate and phosphate levels remain stubbornly high despite doing everything in your power to minimize nutrient import and maximize its export (using RO/DI-purified tap water, employing a quality protein skimmer, performing copious water changes, etc.), there’s a good chance your system’s bioload is simply too high. Stubbornly low or unstable pH The more animals you have respiring and producing waste in your tank, the more rapidly buffering compounds in the water will be used up (in other words, the lower the alkalinity, or the water’s ability to neutralize acids) and the harder it will be to maintain an appropriately high and stable pH

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